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List of Germanic deities

Topic: Religion

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A scene from one of the Merseburg Incantations: gods Wodan and Balder stand before the goddesses Sunna, Sinthgunt, Volla, and Friia (Emil Doepler, 1905)

In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, various chronicles, runic inscriptions, personal names, place names, and other sources. This article contains a comprehensive list of Germanic deities outside the numerous Germanic Matres and Matronae inscriptions from the 1st to 5th century CE.

Gods

Name Name meaning Attested consorts and sexual partners Attested children Attestations
Alcis (Latinized Germanic) Contested None attested None attested Germania
Baldr (Old Norse), Bældæg (Old English) Old Norse form is contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day".[1] Nanna Forseti Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf
Bragi (Old Norse) Connected with Bragr ("poetry")[2] Iðunn None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Dellingr (Old Norse) Possibly "the dayspring"[3] or "shining one"[4] Nótt Dagr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Forseti (Old Norse) "Chairman"[5] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English), Yngvi (Old Norse), Ing (Old English) "Lord"[6] Gerðr Fjölnir (Heimskringla) Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Ögmundar þáttr dytts, Gesta Danorum, various others
Heimdallr (Old Norse) "World-brightener"[7] None attested None attested Prose Edda, Poetic Edda
Hermóðr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English) "War-spirit"[8] None attested Sceaf (Old English only) Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies
Höðr (Old Norse) "Warrior"[9] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf
Hœnir (Old Norse) Contested None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Lóðurr (Old Norse) Contested None attested None attested Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry
Loki (Old Norse) Contested Sigyn, Svadilfari, Angrboda Nari/Narfi, Váli, Fenrir, Hel, Jormungandr, and Sleipnir Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Loka Táttur, Norwegian rune poem, Danish folk tales
Móði and Magni (Old Norse) "Courage" and "Strength" None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Máni (Old Norse) "Moon" (Gives his name to Monday). None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Mímir (Old Norse) "Rememberer" None attested Sons, unnamed Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Meili (Old Norse) "the lovely one"[10] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Njörðr (Old Norse) Contested Once unnamed sister, once Skaði Freyr, Freyja Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Egils saga, Hauksbók ring oath, place names
Odin: Óðinn (North Germanic), Wōden (West Germanic), *Wōðanaz (Proto-Germanic) (see List of names of Odin for more) "Frenzy"[11]

(Gives his name to Wednesday).

Frigg (consort), Skaði (Heimskringla only), Gunnlöð, Jörð, Rindr See Sons of Odin Most attestations of Germanic paganism
Óðr (Old Norse) "The frenzied one"[12] Freyja Hnoss, Gersemi Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Saxnōt (Old Saxon), Seaxnet, Seaxnēat, Saxnat (Old English) Contested None attested None attested Old Saxon Baptismal Vow, Old English royal genealogies
Thor: Þórr (North Germanic), Þunor (Old English), Thunaer (Old Saxon), Donar (Southern Germanic areas) "Thunder", all names stem from Proto-Germanic *ÞunraR[13]

(Gives his name to Thursday).

Sif (consort), Járnsaxa Móði and Magni, Þrúðr Most attestations of Germanic paganism
Tuisto (Latinized Germanic) "double", from the Proto-Germanic root *twai – "two"; "a god, born of the earth" (deum terra editum) None attested Mannus Germania
Týr (Old Norse), Tīw, Tīg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German) "God", derived from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz[14]

(Gives his name to Tuesday).

Unnamed, possibly Zisa Seaxnot Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Hadrian's Wall altar
Ullr (Old Norse) Something like "Glory"[15] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Gesta Danorum, Thorsberg chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden
Váli (Old Norse) "Chosen" None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum (as Bous)
Viðarr (Old Norse) Possibly "wide ruler"[16] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vé (Old Norse) Vé[17] Possibly Frigg None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vili (Old Norse) "Will"[18] Possibly Frigg None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda

Goddesses

Name Name meaning Attested consorts and sexual partners Attested children Attestations
Baduhenna (Latinized Germanic) Badu-, may be cognate to Proto-Germanic *badwa- meaning "battle." The second portion of the name -henna may be related to -henae, which appears commonly in the names of matrons.[1] None attested None attested Tacitus's Annals
Bil (Old Norse) Contested None attested None attested Prose Edda
Beyla (Old Norse) Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee."[19] Byggvir None attested Poetic Edda
Dís (Old Norse) "goddess"[20] None attested None attested Poetic Edda
Eir (Old Norse) "Peace, clemency"[21] or "help, mercy"[22] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Ēostre (Old English) "East"[23] (Gives her name to Easter according to Bede). None attested None attested De temporum ratione
Freyja (Old Norse) (See List of names of Freyja for more) "Lady"[24] Freyr, Óðr Hnoss, Gersemi Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Sörla þáttr
Frigg (Old Norse) Derived from an Indo-European root meaning "Love"[25]

(Gives her name to Friday, as the Germanic equivalent of Venus).

Odin (consort), Vili, Vé Baldr, Höðr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Historia Langobardorum, Second Merseburg Incantation
Fulla (Old Norse) Possibly "bountiful"[26] None attested None attested Second Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Gefjun (Old Norse) Related to "giving"[27] Skjöldr, unnamed jötunn Four oxen Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga, Völsa þáttr,
Gersemi (Old Norse) "Treasure, precious object"[28] None attested None attested Heimskringla
Gerðr (Old Norse) "Fenced in"[29] Freyr Fjölnir (Heimskringla) Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla
Gná (Old Norse) Possibly related to Old Norse Gnæfa, meaning "to project"[30] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Gullveig (Old Norse) Contested None attested None attested Poetic Edda
Haeva (de) (Latinized Germanic) Possibly "marriage"[31] Possibly Hercules Magusanus None attested Votive stone from the Netherlands (CIL XIII 8705)
Hariasa Possibly related to the valkyrie name Herja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair"[32] None attested None attested Stone from Cologne, Germany (CIL XIII 8185)
Hlín (Old Norse) Possibly related to the Old Norse term hleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects"[33][34] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Hludana (Latinized Germanic) "The famous"[31] None attested None attested Votive stones from the Netherlands and Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Hnoss (Old Norse) "Treasure"[33] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Hretha (Old English) Possibly "the famous" or "the victorious"[35] None attested None attested De temporum ratione
Idis (Old Norse) well-respected and dignified woman None attested None attested Merseburg charms
Ilmr (Old Norse) Potentially related to Old Norse ilmr, a masculine noun meaning "pleasant scent"[36][37] None attested None attested Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Iðunn (Old Norse) Possibly "ever young"[38] Bragi None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Irpa (Old Norse) Possibly relating to "dark brown"[39] None attested None attested Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga
Lofn (Old Norse) Potentially related to "Praise"[40] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Nanna (Old Norse) Possibly "mother" from nanna, or potentially related to nanþ-, meaning "the daring one"[41] Baldr Forseti Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Setre Comb
Nehalennia (Latinized Germanic) Possibly "she who is at the sea" None attested None attested Votive altars discovered around what is now the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands
Nerthus (Latinized Germanic, from Proto-Germanic *Nerthuz) Latinized form of what Old Norse Njörðr would have looked like around 1 CE.[42] None attested None attested Germania
Njörun (Old Norse) Possibly related to the Norse god Njörðr and the Roman goddess Nerio[43][44] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Norns (Old Norse)
(Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld) 		Unknown None attested None attested Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry
Rán (Old Norse) "Theft, robbery"[45] Ægir Nine daughters Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna
Rindr (Old Norse) Possibly related to *Vrindr[46] Odin Váli Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum
Sága (Old Norse) Possibly "to see"[47] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Sandraudiga (Latinized Germanic) "She who dyes the sand red."[48] None attested None attested North Brabant stone
Sif (Old Norse) "In-law-relationship"[49] Thor Þrúðr, Ullr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Sigyn (Old Norse) "Victorious girl-friend"[50] Loki Nari, Narfi and/or Váli Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Sinthgunt (Old High German) Contested None attested None attested Second Merseburg Incantation
Sjöfn (Old Norse) "Love"[51] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Skaði (Old Norse) Possibly related to Scandia.[52] Ullr, Odin, once Njörðr. Sæmingr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga
Snotra (Old Norse) "The clever one"[53] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Sól (Old Norse), Sunna (Old High German) "Sun"[54]

(Gives her name to Sunday).

Glenr daughter, unnamed Second Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Syn (Old Norse) "Refusal"[55] None attested None attested Prose Edda
Tamfana (Latinized Germanic) Unknown None attested None attested Germania, Tamfanae sacrum inscription
Þrúðr (Old Norse) "Power"[56] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Karlevi Runestone
Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (Old Norse) Literally "Þorgerðr Hölgi's Bride"[57] None attested Hölgi, possibly others Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga, Skáldskaparmál, Færeyinga saga
Vár (Old Norse) "Beloved"[58] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vihansa (Latinized Germanic) "War-goddess"[59] None attested None attested Votive stone from Belgium (CIL XIII 3592)
Vör (Old Norse) Possibly "the careful one"[60] None attested None attested Prose Edda, Poetic Edda Thrymsvitha
Zisa Possibly related to *Tiwaz None attested Possibly Tyr via linguistic connection Codex Monac, Codex Emmeran, and Suevicarum rerum scriptores

Pseudo-deities and purported deities

  • Astrild, a synonym for the Roman deity Amor or Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors
  • Ercol, a synonym for the Roman deity Hercules used in King Alfred's Anglo-Saxon version of Boethius de Consolatione Philosophiae
  • Frau Berchta, a purported deity and female equivalent of Berchtold proposed by Jacob Grimm
  • Biel (deity) (de), a purported deity potentially stemming from a folk etymology[61]
  • Holda, a purported deity proposed by Jacob Grimm
  • Jecha, a purported deity potentially stemming from a folk etymology[61]
  • Jofur, a synonym for the Roman deity Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors
  • Lahra, a purported deity potentially stemming from a folk etymology[61]
  • Reto (deity) (de), a purported deity potentially stemming from a folk etymology[61]
  • Stuffo, a purported deity potentially stemming from a folk etymology

Related deities

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Simek (2007:26).
  2. ↑ Simek (2007:43).
  3. ↑ Bellows (1936:75).
  4. ↑ Orchard (1997:32).
  5. ↑ Orchard (1997:46).
  6. ↑ Orchard (1997:47).
  7. ↑ Orchard (1997:78).
  8. ↑ Orchard (1997:83).
  9. ↑ Orchard (1997:88).
  10. ↑ Simek (2007:210).
  11. ↑ Orchard (1997:123).
  12. ↑ Orchard (1997:121).
  13. ↑ Simek (2007:322).
  14. ↑ Simek (2007:337).
  15. ↑ Lindow (2001:301).
  16. ↑ Orchard (1997:174—175).
  17. ↑ Orchard (1997:173).
  18. ↑ Simek (2007:363).
  19. ↑ Lindow (2001:78).
  20. ↑ August Fick, Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der Indogermanischen Sprachen Part 3 Wortschatz der Germanischen Spracheinheit, 4th ed. rev. Alf Torp, Hjalmar Falk, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1909, OCLC 491891019, "dîsî, dîsi," p. 206.
  21. ↑ Lindow (2001:105).
  22. ↑ Orchard (1997:36).
  23. ↑ Barnhart (1995:229).
  24. ↑ Lindow (2001:126)
  25. ↑ Lindow (2001:129).
  26. ↑ Orchard (1997:49).
  27. ↑ North (1997:71).
  28. ↑ Simek (2007:106).
  29. ↑ Orchard (1997:54).
  30. ↑ Lindow (2001:147).
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 De Vries, Jan (2011-04-20) (in de). Die Götter – Vorstellungen über den Kosmos – Der Untergang des Heidentums. Berlin: De Gruyter. pp. 320. doi:10.1515/9783110855197. ISBN 978-3-11-085519-7. https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/9815. 
  32. ↑ Simek (2007:131).
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lindow (2001:177).
  34. ↑ Hopkins, J.S., 2016–17. Goddesses Unknown III: On the Identity of the Old Norse Goddess Hlín. RMN Newsletter, 12–13, 30–36.
  35. ↑ Simek (2007:159).
  36. ↑ Grimm (1888:1374).
  37. ↑ Hopkins, J.S., 2014. Goddesses Unknown II: On the Apparent Old Norse Goddess Ilmr. RMN Newsletter, 8, pp.32-38.
  38. ↑ Lindow (2001:199).
  39. ↑ Simek (2007:176).
  40. ↑ Lindow (2001:213).
  41. ↑ Simek (2007:227).
  42. ↑ Lindow (2001:237–238)
  43. ↑ Finnur Jónsson (1913:110) suggests a Njörðr connection, Magnússon (1989:671) suggests Njörðr and Nerio.
  44. ↑ Hopkins, J.S., 2012. Goddesses Unknown I: Njǫrun and the Sister-Wife of Njǫrðr. The Retrospective Methods Network Newsletter, 5 (December 2012), 39-44.
  45. ↑ Simek (2007:260).
  46. ↑ Simek (2007:266).
  47. ↑ Lindow (2001:265).
  48. ↑ Nordisk Familjebok (1916:665).
  49. ↑ Lindow (2001:266).
  50. ↑ Orchard (1997:146).
  51. ↑ Lindow (2001:268).
  52. ↑ Simek (2007:287).
  53. ↑ Simek (2007:296).
  54. ↑ Orchard (1997:152).
  55. ↑ Orchard (1997:157).
  56. ↑ Orchard (1997:165).
  57. ↑ Simek (2007:326–327).
  58. ↑ Simek (2007:353).
  59. ↑ Schonfeld, M. (Moritz) (1911). Wörterbuch der altgermanischen personen-und völkernamen; nach der überlieferung des klassischen altertums. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Library. Heidelberg, C. Winter. http://archive.org/details/wrterbuchderal00scho. 
  60. ↑ Simek (2007:368).
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon, Band 2. Leipzig 1905, S. 832.

References

  • Bellows, Henry Adams (Trans.) (1936). The Poetic Edda. Princeton University Press.
  • Barnhart, Robert K (1995). The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology. HarperCollins ISBN:0-06-270084-7
  • Grimm, Jacob (James Steven Stallybrass Trans.) (1888). Teutonic Mythology: Translated from the Fourth Edition with Notes and Appendix by James Stallybrass. Volume IV. London: George Bell and Sons.
  • Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN:0-19-515382-0
  • Nordisk Familjebok (1916). Available online: [1]
  • North, Richard (1997). Heathen Gods in Old English Literature. Cambridge University Press ISBN:0-521-55183-8
  • Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN:0-304-34520-2
  • Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer. ISBN:0-85991-513-1



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